The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for transferring supplementary paper money in an automatic teller machine, and more particularly to a method of and an apparatus for transporting supplementary paper money efficiently from the supplementary-paper-money storing part of an automatic teller machine to the paper-money containers thereof.
An automatic teller machine is disclosed in Japanese patent application JP-A-62-171,092. In this automatic teller machine, supplementary paper money is supplied to a cartridge without stopping the machine, and is sent to paper-money containers in a period when the machine is not operated. Further, an ordinary automatic teller machine performs a paper-money paying operation in the following manner. That is, it is judged that no paper money is present in paper money containers, paper money is paid directly from a cartridge for storing supplementary paper money. Thus, even in a case where customers continually utilize the machine, paper money can be taken out, without stopping the machine. In the former machine, supplementary paper money is supplied to the paper money containers in a period when the machine is not operated. Further, in the latter machine, the amount of paper money in each paper money container is checked before a paper-money paying operation is started. When it is judged that a desired amount of paper money is not present in the paper money containers, paper money is paid directly from the cartridge for storing supplementary paper money. Thus, in these machines there arises the following problem. That is, in a case where each machine is continually utilized by customers, it is difficult to find a time necessary for sending supplementary paper money from the cartridge to the paper money containers. Hence, it is impossible to forsee a time the cartridge becomes empty. Specifically, in a case where the automatic teller machine is provided with means for checking the amount of supplementary money by causing supplementary paper money to pass through a paper-money discriminating part, there arises another problem. That is, it is impossible to foresee how long is a time necessary for checking the amount of supplementary money stored in the cartridge.